I embraced the madness years ago (it just seemed easier - and more fun - than fighting it any longer). Now it is like a big comforting duvet full of bizarro eiderdown.
"Join us. The crazy is at a perfect temperature today." :-)
Wait, we're crazy? (This said from a guy who has a cartoony icon on his blog to a guy who has a picture of himself in a paladin's helmet on his blog...)
I was going to suggest that you embrace the madness, but I see that Chris beat me to it. (Great Chrises must think alike. :P)
I say: What is madness, but a different concept of reality? And who's to say which reality is the true reality? So maybe we're sane, and everybody else is bonkers. Yeah, that's the ticket...
And besides, gaming wouldn't be much of a fringe hobby without its lunatics, now would it?
I think the clue is right there in the word "hobby," which refers to: 1) a child's toy horse that doesn't go anywhere; 2) "A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others;" and is derived (courtesy of the online etymological dictionary) from Middle French hobeler "to skirmish, harass."
People gotta have something to be nuts about. I find RPGs to be the best choice for me.
Everyone just remember to call the guys in white on me if I ever start to refer to myself in the third person as "Hawking the Bold" or "Grimgold the Mysterious".
Context? What brought on this realization (presumably again)?
Let's just say that I have, in the last few days, been witness to behavior by a few folks in this hobby that fall far short of my own standards of decorum and leave it at that.
I would wonder if we are actually part of the saner portion of the population.
For Role Playing is a form therapy and working out issues that may plague us in everyday life.
Also, we can clearly distinguish between fantasy and reality better than those people who obsessively watch soaps, cry during movies, believe in every advertising jingle ("Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"), etc.
"Let's just say that I have, in the last few days, been witness to behavior by a few folks in this hobby that fall far short of my own standards of decorum and leave it at that."
Fair enough. I can imagine (or maybe I can't, who knows?). I've encountered enough RPG-related weird-and-unpleasantness on the web to last me a lifetime and then some, so I empathize. Your standards might be slightly on the high side, but sounds like this incident goes beyond the pale, whatever it was. I sincerely hope it wasn't anything like the last time.
Everyone's weird but me & you. And I'm not too sure about you. :)
ReplyDeleteI embraced the madness years ago (it just seemed easier - and more fun - than fighting it any longer). Now it is like a big comforting duvet full of bizarro eiderdown.
ReplyDelete"Join us. The crazy is at a perfect temperature today." :-)
Wait, we're crazy? (This said from a guy who has a cartoony icon on his blog to a guy who has a picture of himself in a paladin's helmet on his blog...)
ReplyDeleteWell, don't they say there's a fine line between hobby and mental illness?
ReplyDeleteAt least we here in blogland can all be crazy together.
I had that very same thought today after visiting one of the D&D boards. That's crazy, isn't it? (chuckle)
ReplyDeleteI was going to suggest that you embrace the madness, but I see that Chris beat me to it. (Great Chrises must think alike. :P)
ReplyDeleteI say: What is madness, but a different concept of reality? And who's to say which reality is the true reality? So maybe we're sane, and everybody else is bonkers. Yeah, that's the ticket...
And besides, gaming wouldn't be much of a fringe hobby without its lunatics, now would it?
I think the clue is right there in the word "hobby," which refers to:
ReplyDelete1) a child's toy horse that doesn't go anywhere;
2) "A subject or plan upon which one is constantly setting off; a favorite and ever-recurring theme of discourse, thought, or effort; that which occupies one's attention unduly, or to the weariness of others;"
and is derived (courtesy of the online etymological dictionary) from Middle French hobeler "to skirmish, harass."
Of course, my vision is coloured by this.
But you weren't thinking of me when you spoke of crazy people, were you?
I really try hard not to be one of the crazy ones, but occasionally fail :). Context? What brought on this realization (presumably again)?
ReplyDeletePeople gotta have something to be nuts about. I find RPGs to be the best choice for me.
ReplyDeleteEveryone just remember to call the guys in white on me if I ever start to refer to myself in the third person as "Hawking the Bold" or "Grimgold the Mysterious".
Because I would do the same thing for any of you.
Yes, I often have the creeping realization that YOU could be a crazy person. :D
ReplyDeleteCrazy I can deal with, its all the gamers who are bloody obnoxious, unclean, and socially unbearable that are the problem.
ReplyDeleteCrazy? Yeah, that's fine.
I'm absolutely sane. Absolutely.
ReplyDeleteRather far past creeping realizations in my case. But it's easy to sympathize. :)
ReplyDeleteCrazy is not having a hobby.
ReplyDeleteWork all day to watch commercials all night? Now THAT is crazy.
Oh boy. Yeah. But I'm not in denial one bit, because I know I'm nuts...or just a major dork, not sure if there's a difference.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm crazy.
ReplyDeleteI even have diagnoses (only two of which I agree with (both of which are pretty much harmless), but that's another matter).
The truly crazy hobbyists are those golfers out there in windy, below-freezing temperatures hitting those little balls.
ReplyDeleteContext? What brought on this realization (presumably again)?
ReplyDeleteLet's just say that I have, in the last few days, been witness to behavior by a few folks in this hobby that fall far short of my own standards of decorum and leave it at that.
I would wonder if we are actually part of the saner portion of the population.
ReplyDeleteFor Role Playing is a form therapy and working out issues that may plague us in everyday life.
Also, we can clearly distinguish between fantasy and reality better than those people who obsessively watch soaps, cry during movies, believe in every advertising jingle ("Who Wants To Be A Millionaire"), etc.
"Let's just say that I have, in the last few days, been witness to behavior by a few folks in this hobby that fall far short of my own standards of decorum and leave it at that."
ReplyDeleteFair enough. I can imagine (or maybe I can't, who knows?). I've encountered enough RPG-related weird-and-unpleasantness on the web to last me a lifetime and then some, so I empathize. Your standards might be slightly on the high side, but sounds like this incident goes beyond the pale, whatever it was. I sincerely hope it wasn't anything like the last time.
"cry during movies"
ReplyDeleteHey! I've cried during movies, at least a handful of times... I won't tell you which, but I promise you would laugh your *** off if I did :).
Crazy? Us? No way! WE'RE NOT CRAZY!
ReplyDeleteNO, THE DAME WORLD IS CRAZY!!!
And there out to get us, you know! I see them, looking back at us though the TV - CIA, FDA, FBI, KGB, ESPN, WMBA! If you cant see them, then...
...YOU MUST BE CRAZY TOO!!!! o_O
Ooh, a penny! :D
...
What are we talking about?
I'll quote something from W40K:Rogue Trader, that echoes your post:
ReplyDelete"Only the insane have strength enough to prosper, only those who prosper may judge what is sane."
Keep on keeping on, James.